Bennett bags Giro 7th stage

PRAIA A MARE, Italy: Irishman Sam Bennett powered to victory in the seventh stage of the Giro d’Italia on Friday, beating favourite Elia Viviani in a sprint finish at Praia a Mare. Bora-Hansgrohe rider Bennett latched onto Viviani’s wheel at the end of the flat 159km ride from Pizzo to Calabria, before bursting past the Italian to grab his first-ever win on a Grand Tour.

Britain’s Simon Yates maintained the overall lead after finishing safely in the peloton, having taken the pink jersey by finishing second in Thursday’s sixth stage. Friday’s ride was always going to end in a bunch sprint, with Davide Ballerini the last breakaway rider to be reeled in by the main group with 14km still to go. Quick-Step’s Viviani was widely expected to claim his second win of the Giro and looked in a good position heading into the final kilometre with a strong lead-out train. But Bennett stuck to his rival and just pipped the home favourite to the line to become the first Irish winner of a Giro stage since Stephen Roche in 1987.